United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania

Below is a wonderful resource for finding children's books that feature black, brown and non-mainstream stories and protagonists.

Here is a perspective on the subject of POVERTY, by an msn.com writer. It jives with what I see. How about you? As Christians, in general, and United Methodists, in particular, our relation with our community and neighbor goes hand-in-hand with our relationship with God. The condition of poverty is a real-world element in our relationship triad. For those who seek to understanding what it means to be the church in a fallen world, one cannot avoid thinking about poverty.

United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania will conduct a faith and politics conference on Saturday, May 18. May 19 and 20, will feature activities organized in conjunction with Lutheran Advocacy Ministries in Pennsylvania. See the link below for further information, a printable piece, and to register: https://www.susumc.org/change-the-world/

Invitation to participate in a free Webinar: NONPROFIT RIGHTS TO ADVOCATE Tuesday, March 5, 12 Noon to 1:30 This webinar is for those who want to know what is allowable for nonprofit organizations--with emphasis for houses of worship--regarding advocacy and participation in political and public policy issues. This webinar will be valuable for church members and clergy who wish to relate their faith concerns and social principles in the public arena, but are uncertain as to wh...at is permissible. United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania and Lutheran Advocacy Ministries in Pennsylvania have teamed together to make this webinar available, free of charge, to members of their faith communities. The webinar is led by Bolder Advocacy (learn more about Bolder Advocacy by visiting: www.bolderadvocacy.org). Register using the following link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/regist/6494308707192223234 See more

View this video! It asks for a decision that needs to be made by every American Christian. It is a question of ultimate loyalty and theological understanding. It is forced on us by the circumstances of our time. It also just so happens to be a decision grounded in our faith and our relation to the world (politics).

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society encourages members to support renewal of CHIP. The Children's Health Insurance Program is due for renewal in the U.S. Congress. It is intended to ensure health care coverage for as many American children as possible. It is often the only practical option for low-income families. All three Pennsylvania Annual Conferences have passed resolutions seeking to include undocumented children in our state's administration of CHIP. Renewal of the program is the first step. Read more, below.

Bishop Peggy Johnson has called for prayer for "Dreamers." Dreamers are people covered under DACA. DACA grants temporary benefits and deportation relief to more than 800,000 children of illegal immigrants. The program was challenged when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and officials from nine other states urged President Donald Trump, in June, to end the policy and threatened to file a lawsuit if he didn’t. The policy has allowed people to work legally in the U.S., ge...t a driver’s license and apply to American universities, among other benefits. To be eligible, a person had to have been physically present in the U.S., not have legal status and be under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 1 million people qualified and 78 percent applied and received the benefits. Read Bishop Johnson's letter, below. See more

Susan Henry-Crowe, General Secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General--and United Methodist--Jeff Sessions, regarding the August 12 rally in Charlottesville, in which white nationalists and counter demonstrators clashed. Read the letter, posted below:

On August 9, 2017, four members of the MORALtorium group appeared as guests on the Berks County TV program, Take a Deep Breath. The MORALtorium group is an informal coalition of faith-based advocates and environmentalists who first convened in January 2016, for the purpose of advocating for a moratorium on future unconventional gas drilling (fracking) in Pennsylvania. Rev. Dai Morgan, Coordinator of United Methodist Advocacy in PA, has participated in the MORALtorium group since its beginning and was one of the panelists on this cable TV program. This program provides an anti-fracking perspective. The program run time is slightly less than one hour.

The MORALtorium coalition provides funding for a water bank serving the Woodlands Community in Butler County. Rev. Dai Morgan, Coordinator of United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania, presented a check on behalf of the MORALtorium coalition to Rev. Lee Dreyer and congregation members of White Oak Springs Presbyterian Church. The $5,000 check represents the results of a crowd-funding effort to support the water bank. The MORALtorium coalition is an informal group of faith...-based advocates and environmentalists, formed early in 2016 to advocate for a moratorium on future gas well drilling in Pennsylvania. The water bank provides water for the Woodlands Community that had its water supply grossly contaminated coincidentally with the installation of a nearby fracking operation. The news conference and check presentation took place April 24, 2017. See more

Bishop Johnson leads vigil at Berks County detention center. By John W. Coleman Bishop Peggy Johnson shared a message of hope and solidarity for Latina immigrant detainees at the Berks County Residential Center Sunday, March 12, surrounded by about 90 people who gathered to worship and witness for justice and mercy. The hour-long, interfaith prayer vigil, which included songs, scriptures, litanies, prayers and the bishop’s message, occurred outside the detention center, acro...ss from the county prison, in Bern Township. This is a very sad thing for women and children to be detained here for many months, she said, reading her statement in both Spanish and English. It is hard on the mothers and the children. We know and are sorry that our laws have not been followed as they are written. But God is on the side of those who suffer. We will pray for justice and mercy, and not only pray, but also talk to those in our government who are making these laws. Members of several Eastern PA Conference churches were present, including members of United Methodist Women and the Rapid Response Team on Immigration, among other advocates, as police officers watched from their cars nearby. Although mostly silent except for the sounds of worship, the advocates held signs protesting the lengthy, isolated detention and inadequate conditions at the facility, which reportedly cause some children emotional stress and despair. The Rev. Lydia Muñoz, pastor of Church of the Open Door UMC in Kennett Square, led most of the proceedings in English and Spanish, as some of the detainees, known as the Berks Madres, watched and responded from behind a distant fence, even joining in the singing and prayers. Bishop Johnson said there are well-meaning people on both sides, but it is time for the center to close and allow its temporary residents to live elsewhere. They are awaiting hearings on their requests for asylum in the U.S., as refugees from violence and poverty in their mostly Central American countries. The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) operates the Berks County-owned facility, which houses about 75 immigrant women and children, and pays $1 million a year for its use. It is one of three such detention centers in the U.S. The other two are in Texas. Activists have held numerous vigils outside the center to stand in solidarity with the women and children while exposing their captivity to the outside public and media. Organizers plan to hold vigils there monthly. The Rev. Dai Morgan, Coordinator of UM Advocacy in Pennsylvania, invited Bishop Johnson to participate on behalf of the event’s co-sponsor, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches.